The present invention relates to the field of seed cleaning and more particularly to the cleaning of seed such as cotton seed in which the seed bears fiber and lint that can be used if separated there from and in which the seed itself has commercial utilization when properly processed. Cotton seed is processed into three major products: cotton linters (lint remaining on the seed), cooking oil and meal (used for animal feed). Additionally, cotton seed oil is now being used to produce Bio-Fuels. In the field of cleaning seed, primarily cotton seed, two main systems for cleaning seed are currently used namely: oscillating shaker trays and/or air aspiration. The oscillating shaker trays are very widely used throughout the Cotton Seed Processing Industries. A series of oscillating shakers (trays) are covered with various sizes of perforated metal screens for the seed to pass through and the larger trash to pass over, and a series of smaller perforated metal screens are used for the fine product to pass through and the seed to pass over. The two most common models are the Four-Tray Seed Cleaner and the Two-Tray Seed Cleaner. Longer fiber remaining on the cotton seed has become an issue in maintaining capacity of the apparatus as well as cleanliness of the seed because the longer fiber entangles on the perforated screen as the seed passes through it, blinding the screen and allowing more seed to pass over and not through the screens.
To help correct this problem, many seed processors have installed an air wash (Air Cascade), which is a counter-flow system. As the seed is fed into the air cascade, the air is pulled upwards, lifting some of the loose lint and light trash with it. This helps decrease the load on the perforated screen at the seed cleaners, but not significantly, due to the process flow pushing loose lint into the discharge seed stream. This loose lint entangles itself on the perforated screens, significantly reducing efficiency of the shaker tray cleaning process